Developer discovers iChat code in iOS

iOS developer John Heaton has discovered a string of iOS code that suggests Apple is working on bringing its popular iChat client to iOS devices. We first heard this rumor back in September, but now there appears to be some proof to back it up. iChat, not to be confused with iMessage, allows Mac users to chat with one another across various messaging platforms including AIM, Google Talk and more. Currently, iOS users can only access iMessage through the text message app and can only place FaceTime calls using the address book or Phone application. A refreshed iMessage platform for iOS could merge all of these into one easy to use buddy list. While it is still unclear how exactly Apple plans to execute the move across all of its platforms, it certainly bolsters our theory that iMessage really is the start of something much bigger.

Read